Goals: Voyager 1 and 2 were designed to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment to explore the outer solar system. Voyager 2 targeted Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Like it's sister spacecraft, Voyager 2 also was designed to study the edge of our solar system beyond the planets.

Accomplishments: Voyager 2 was to become the third spacecraft to visit Saturn. Its mission there was to follow up on the pictures and data returned by Voyager 1.

Voyager 2 gave us another close-range look at Saturn and its moons. Using its photopolarimeter, an instrument that had failed on Voyager 1, Voyager 2 was able to observe the planet's rings at much higher resolution and to discover many more ringlets. It also provided more detailed images of the ring spokes and kinks, and of the F-ring and its shepherding moons. Finally, it employed a gravity-assist maneuver at Saturn to help it reach its next destination, Uranus.

Both Voyager spacecraft carry a greeting to any form of life. The message is on a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk (right) containing sounds and images that portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.

One of the musical selections on the Voyager gold record is Chuck Berry's 1950s hit Johnny B. Goode.

Voyager 2 is escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.3 A.U. (495,000,000 km) per year.

Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune.

A 30-cm gold-plated copper disc, together with a needle and playing instructions, is mounted on the body casing. On it are recorded natural Earth sounds, 90 min of music, 115 pictures, and greetings in 60 languages.

It is departing our solar system in a different direction than Voyager 1.